In the early days of the Disney Vinylmation figures line, the rarest blind-box figures out there were the Vinylmation Mystery Chasers that were packed at one-per-case. But things have changes in the last few years, and now there’s something even rarer: Vinylmation variants. Packed at far less than one per case, the Marvel Vinylmation variants from Series 1 of Phasing Vision and Bearded Thor have long been the most valuable Vinylmation Marvel figures. They now have some competition, though–Vinylmation Green Goblin and Mary Jane variants have now appeared and are selling for $150-$300 each!

The Marvel Vinylmation Series 1 variants were a very cool inclusion in that series, and one of the few times that multiple designs in the same Vinylmation series have had variants. The trend continues with the just-released Disney Vinylmation Marvel Series 2 (which has a Spider-Man theme), where there are again two different variant characters out there.

Each case of Marvel Vinylmation Spider-Man blind-box figures will contain either no variants (most cases) or two of one of the variants (but no single case of Vinylmation Marvel Spider-Man figures will contain both different variants). So even if you buy a case of Vinylmation Marvel blind boxes, at best you’ll only get one of the two variants. Disney makes collecting a real blast, right…? Heh.

The first (and more common) variant in the Spider-Man Vinylmation series seems to be the unmasked Vinylmation Green Goblin variant. Norman Osborn’s “unique” hairstyle has led to him being a favorite of figure companies to sell unmasked figures of, so I’m not at all surprised to see an Unmasked Green Goblin Vinylmation variant making an appearance as part of this set.

If you really wanted to stretch things, you could say that the Unmasked Green Goblin variant is a different character altogether, with the masked Vinylmation Green Goblin being Harry Osborn and the unmasked version obviously being Norman Osborn. There’s no evidence which Green Goblin is under the mask on the figure anyway, so why not?

Mary Jane Watson is the other Vinylmation Marvel Series 2 figure that has appeared in the wild, and is a case where I like the rare variant far more than the regular design. While the normal Vinylmation Mary Jane looks like some sort of Spider-Man fangirl in her white shirt with Spider-Man logo, the Mary Jane Vinylmation variant is decked out in her classic black shirt and tan pants that she wore in her first appearance.

Mary Jane’s first-appearance clothes are a very common choice for dressing Mary Jane in for most of her collectible appearances, and I think this Vinylmation variant Mary Jane figure will look good next to the matching Bowen Designs Mary Jane statue. At least, it would if this variant wasn’t excessively rare and expensive right now and out of reach of many collectors–at the moment the Vinylmation Mary Jane variant figure is selling for $200+ on the aftermarket (well ahead of the Unmasked Green Goblin variant, which is tracking for about $50 less).

I paid over $100 for my Translucent Vision variant last year and don’t regret it, and I suspect I’ll do the same for the Vinylmation Marvel Mary Jane figure variant this year. The price is steep, but in the long run these variants end up being some truly hard-to-find and coveted vinyl Collectibles.

Anyone besides me stalking the Vinylmation Spider-Man variants on the secondary market, or do this year’s variants not impress you enough to drive you to seek out these very pricey Marvel vinyl figures?